Today we’d like to introduce you to Ken Ellsworth.
Hi Ken, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It was July 17, 2012, my heart was failing. The doctors said that I needed a new heart, a transplanted heart from a donor. How could this be? Why me? I was 69 years old; I had run a good race and I was at peace with myself and my Creator. Should I receive a heart or should I let it go to another person? I have done my best. What should I do?
There are two parts is parts to this story. I assume that you will read the first part of this book and my testament of what I did. My story is all about how I became a follower of Jesus Christ. The second part is what I have learned and how and why I learned it.
This is what I want to share with my family, friends, and anyone who is seeking the truth of Jesus. I want to talk about what is the truth and how it affects your faith in this world, and who is God? What do you believe??
My title of this book is “HOW CAN THIS BE”. This is a classic way that Jews teach through stories and parables. They teach through contrasting ideas. This story is a gift. He who has eyes set him to see. He who has ears let him hear. How can this be, it just is? What is faith and where does it come from?
Now, in 2022, I am seventy-eight years old. As I look back, I see how hard it has been to see the truth. What is the truth? Most people, included myself, believe what we think is the truth. “Believe” is a verb, a tricky word. You can believe either good or not good and change from one to the other. “Belief” and “faith” are both nouns. While we can have beliefs that are true or not true, our faith we hold to be true. We have been given free will to choose what we believe. However, we have been born into a place in time, culture, history, language, and family that all influence our free will and therefore choosing can be complicated. I learned that there are two choices regarding who I am, the World’s view and God’s view. The mindset of this world is built on the wisdom and knowledge of men. This worldview can be good or bad and we are here to choose what we believe. God’s view is, the wisdom of man is foolish in God’s eyes. That is why he sent His Son Jesus Christ to this world. The “Son of Man” is totally natural like us and the “Son of God” almighty. “How can this be”? How can he be both a man and God? Jesus said John 8:32 “and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free”. This was my dilemma do I trust my faith in myself or to I trust my faith through him. Will I just put my faith in the mindset of this world? Or will I receive my faith from him as a gift through His grace? He said Mat 6:33-34 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you”. Will it be my will or His will?
In 2001, the doctors reached a verdict and ultimatum. Only a new heart would save my life. I made a declaration to God. I told Him that if He gave me a new heart, I would preach the gospel of grace and truth, share the story of His faithfulness in my life, and use my golf abilities to help others. It wasn’t a bargain, as some seem to think God’s hand works. I didn’t see it as Him scratching my back so that I could scratch His. Rather, my declaration was an offering of thanks, the way a son chooses to honor his father from a place of love, not duty. This is a statement not an invoice. So, I told Jesus the same way he told his Father “Not my will but Your will be done”.
In 1996, I went to sleep like on any normal night. But around 3:00 a.m. I had a dream. I woke up abruptly, and I had to write it down. It was a poem. I had never written or thought about anything like this before. How could this be? BEHOLD is the poem’s title and it plays a major role in this story. All the words of this poem came from scriptures in the Bible.
Another time in I999, during an afternoon nap. I woke up from the nap and I was totally confused. What happened? I had a stroke. My ex-wife took me to a hospital and I could not speak. About two weeks later I was diagnosed with a hole in my heart, causing the stroke, and I was told that I would not be able to speak again. A friend of mine, Kristy Miller, came to see me and we prayed together. At the end of this time, she said “Ken, God is not finished with you yet”. How could this be? The Holy Spirit showed me that His time and my time are different. I remember Jesus told Peter “Peter, this is not your time to know this”. Secrets in time are crucial and there will be more on the subject of “time” in this story. These are some of the secrets and the mysteries of my life.
Now in 2022, after time, searching and praying, I decided to tell my story. I am now seventy-eight years old. I have a question, are we here through evolution, or are we created by God or gods? We have free will, and we can choose what we believe. I believe a person’s identity is crucial and we are here to be tested and to make a choice; we have free will. Your choice, the wisdom of God or the wisdom of man. The World view or God’s view?
This is why I wrote this story, for my family, my friends, and for anyone who will be willing to see with their eyes and hear with their ears and find the real truth from God’s word. Not from the mind of the flesh (world), but to understand and believe the truth through your heart. God is real and Satan is real. Jesus Christ came here to save us from Satan’s lies. We will be judged as Satan himself will be judged. The world will end. But your soul and your spirit will live eternally. Death is not dead; we could be born again into God’s kingdom.
So, this is what I’ve learned, fight the right fight. Seek and speak the truth. Mat 6:33-34 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. Again, Jesus said Mat 7:19- 21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasures is, there your heart will be also.
OK, if I choose Jesus then what should I do? He said come and see, hear and learn, and love God.
Mat 22:37-39
“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND”. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it. “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF”
There is my question: God chose us before the foundation of this world through his love; can we love and choose him back?
KEN ELLSWORTH GOLF
PGA Teaching Professional THIS IS THE WAY THAT I TEACH My vocabulary… We need to know what a word means. It is crucial to communicate and to understand each other.
What I teach… I call it a “progressive motion”, which combines the knowledge of what I have learned from Moe Norman, Lee Trevino and Ben Hogan. There are some common denominators in their swings. It is crucial to know and understand them. The 7 basic pillars of the foundation for your golf swing: Grip, Stance, Plane Face, Cock and hinge your hands, Momentum vs. Resistance, Rhythm, (Timing. Tempo, and Balance). Know the 7 basic pillars and the drills for them. They will teach your body and your mind correctly. This swing comes from the common denominators I have learned from Moe, Ben, and Lee. This swing is a progressive movement that starts of a waggle to the finish. Have a routine and do your drills. Always understand where you are in your swing. Only move forward when your foundation is solid. The final part of your swing MUST BE IN SYNC. Rhythm Timing, Tempo, AND Balance; This is called a progressive motion. I will teach you according to your goals. I can keep it simple, or I can teach you at the highest level. My goal is to teach you so that you will enjoy the game. My moto is =
SEE IT, KNOW IT, DO IT, AND OWN IT.
KEN ELLSWORTH All American Division I • Won several college events and played on PGA Tour Professional -7 years. Finished 5th in the Hawaiian Open 1968 Finished 7th, Los Angeles Open 1969 Other Events won that were not on the PGA Tour: PGA Wisconsin Match Play Championship 1980 Utah Open 1978, Nevada Open 1977, Bridgestone Classic in Japan 1970 Several other professional events. Head professional of Ville du Parc G.C., WI 1979-1980, Head Professional of Edina CC., MN 1981- 1990 Featured four times on the “Academy Life with Natural Golf”. Golf Channel, Inducted into the Natural Golf Hall of Fame, Included in “Top One Hundred Golf Teachers”, Director of Instruction for Natural Golf 1995 – 1999, Contributed to the publication of “Lifetime of Better Golf”, Natural Golf player who has played in two Senior Tour events including the PGA Senior Championship, Life member of the PGA for 42 years.
The above is just a quick summary of my story. I have so much more to say in my book, which I can email to you. I can also mail you a hard copy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“HOW CAN IT BE ?” MY STORY IS A MYSTERY FROM ONE TIME TO ANOTHER. SOME DAYS WERE GREAT AND OTHERS WERE SAD, ANGRY, OR CONFUSED. WHAT IS TRUTH AND WHO AM I. AND WHAT SHOULD I DO?
1. Narbonne High School 1961.
I was a B student and an all star athlete in baseball and basketball. I had 75 offers of scholarships for basketball and an offer or $10’000 dollars to play baseball. I went to play basketball at Utah third in the nation in 1960.
1963 at Utah they lied to me so I left and I went back home to Los Angeles. So started to play golf while waiting to play at a different school Cal State. So they gave me a scholarship for basketball and golf, When I left Cal State I was All-Conference basketball and All-American Division 1 golf.
2. 1968 I qualified to play on the PGA, TOUR GOLF.
3. Divorced 1994 This was the start of difficult times
4. 1995 back to golf and started golf schools with Natural Golf. (in my book0
5. 1999 I had a stroke and the doctors said I would never speak again. During this time I studied my poem and I learned to speak again. (in my book)
6 2,000 through 2010 my heart was failing. Then l I received a LAVD artificial heart, then in 2011 I received a new heart. After I received a new heart, I promised Almighty God that I will share this story.
THOSE THAT EYES LET THEM SEE AND THOES WHO HAVE EARS LET THEM HEAR SO THAT THEY WILL KNOW JESUS IS COMING SOON. Isa 6:9-10
The prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, “You will keep on hearing — But you will not understand Your will keep on seeing — But will not perceive For the heart of the people — Has become dull With, their ears they scarcely — Hear And they have closed their — Eyes Otherwise, they would see — with their eyes Hear with their ears And understand with their hearts and return”.
